Dharriwaa Elders Group - Projects and activities

Indigenous Community Volunteers meet with the Dharriwaa Elders Group

Nellie Copeland revisits Cootamundra Girls Home

Jenny Wright presents the Jenny Wright Netball Shield

home >DEG shop

FIRST Walgett Aboriginal arts and crafts shop open!

The Dharriwaa Elders Group's newest enterprise - Walgett's first Aboriginal arts and crafts shop was launched to the Walgett community 27 June 2007.
For 100% locally produced Aboriginal arts and crafts, visit 37 Wee Waa St Walgett when the "open flag" is up, or ring 02 6828 2619 to make an appointment.
This project was developed in 2006/07 in recognition of the needs identified by the DEG, the Walgett Shire Council and the NSW Dept of State and Regional Development for:

public awareness of local Aboriginal culture;
to create an economic opportunity for the Walgett Aboriginal community;
to provide the fora for Walgett Aboriginal elders to inform younger generations about art styles and forms they learnt from previous generations;
to support new forms of Aboriginal cultural expression.

Legal advisers Gilbert + Tobin have helped us to develop a local Aboriginal arts and crafts authentication policy and process, to improve the quality of cultural product in Walgett. It assists elders to assert local art styles and practices and work to develop quality and communication with artists who previously worked in isolation, selling their work in ad hoc ways to travellers and Sydney retail outlets. Our shop also works to inform awareness of Aboriginal cultural intellectual property issues to elders, artists and customers, and provides a ready exhibition space to promote local Aboriginal culture and the outcomes of the DEG’s other projects, and, in the future, its substantial cultural collection, to visitors and the community.

Left: Dharriwaa Elders Group Speaker George Rose with DEG staff Richard Lake, Stella Sands and Kay Kennedy in Walgett's first Aboriginal arts and crafts shop. Right: Chairperson/Speaker George Rose and Project Officer Richard Lake enter the DEG's Elders Centre and arts and crafts shop, July 2007

If you wish to contact the Dharriwaa Elders Group write to
PO Box 174 Walgett NSW 2832, phone: 02 6828 2619
or email info@dharriwaaeldersgroup.org.au

All donations will be very gratefully received